The invention concerns a valve, in particular for controlling volume flows in a fuel supply device of internal combustion engines.
Fuel supply devices for internal combustion engines that have a low-pressure section and a high-pressure section are known in the art. The low-pressure section contains, for example, a low-pressure pump and at least one fuel filter; the filtered fuel is supplied to a high-pressure pump that supplies the injection system with fuel.
The system is designed such that, particularly when the engine operates at partial load or in an overrun state, a volume flow is conveyed by the high-pressure pump that is higher than what is being supplied by the injection system into the combustion chambers. The excess volume flow of the injection system and high-pressure pump is returned by a return passage to the fuel container. The energy that is employed for compressing the fuel thus remains unused.
The publication DE 10 2005 021 445 A1 discloses a flow regulator for fuel supply devices that comprises a housing in which a flow limiting element is slidably arranged and, by a sliding action, changes the flow cross-section of a flow passage.
There remains a need in the art for a fuel control valve that is configured to operate an engine fuel supply system in an energy efficient way.